Chasing the Cure

It was May 2010 when we received the news. I remember it like it was yesterday: the look on my parents face, the look on my brother’s face, the sinking feeling in my chest. I was 21 years old and it was a beautiful day outside. I had a job I loved and had just finished my Motor swap in my s13. Life was great, except…my brother Kyle had just been diagnosed with leukemia. It was only days before his 16th birthday. We were all at a loss for words. The fear I felt was unreal: the fear of losing; the fear of the unknown.

It was a 4 year long battle with many ups and downs and it was a struggle for everyone involved. Kyle pulled through amazingly. It never ceased to amaze me how strong and courageous he was throughout the entire ordeal. He always had a smile on his face and it seemed like he was more concerned with making others happy than with his own health. My brother is a true inspiration to me; one of the strongest people I know. We were elated that after 4 long years, from the lowest of lows it seemed we now had the highest of highs: Kyle was in full remission by 2014.

Flash forward to Thanksgiving 2014, as I drive to meet Kyle at the emergency room for an infection in his hand. During the last year that Kyle was in remission, he had taken up Olympic weightlifting and was leading a very healthy lifestyle. He was determined to put the past behind him and to move on with his life. But something was eerie about this day. We got the news that Kyle’s leukemia had returned just one short year after he had entered remission. We were in disbelief. Crushed. There are no words to describe the feeling that overcame my whole body when we received the news.

At this point in time, I reached out to my teammate and good friend: the owner of Superwow Factory. I let him know about Kyle and the struggles my family was going through. I wanted to help raise money for the mountain of medical bills that were coming our way. We talked about designing a sticker I could sell to close family and friends to help raise money for Kyle and help my family with the bills. We shot ideas back and forth and talked about initial designs, deciding to make them orange to help support leukemia cancer research.

The idea snowballed and I can’t thank my family at Superwow Factory enough – or my teammates in Chasing – for their incredible support. We decided to help others who are struggling as well, and thus Chasing the Cure was born. We have all had someone in our lives affected by something out of our control, and the feeling of helplessness is one I know all too well. All proceeds of Chasing the Cure will go to charity or families in need. Make a difference, touch lives, and enjoy everyday with the people you love.